I began studying herbalism in my late teens, and have continued practicing to varying degrees ever since. While in my early college days, the top two requests I got were tea for when people were sick with some kind of cold or flu; and a cure for “wine flu” also known as a hangover.

I always started with the advice that drinking less alcohol or at least more water was really their best bet, as preventative medicine is the most effective. This elicited the expected eyerolls and request for actual help. As a result, I came up with this very simple recipe that I could whip up and hand out anytime.

A quick trip to a local herb shop will yield these two relatively common herbal ingredients. If none are available, there are plenty of websites that carry organic food-grade herbs. My personal favorite is Mountain Rose Herbs. This recipe uses dried herbs.

For one mug of tisane:

1.5 teaspoons meadowsweet
0.5 teaspoons lavender
1 spoonful honey, to taste

Steep the herb ingredients in water heated to a full boil for ten minutes. Add honey before serving.

A few notes about this recipe:

  • Meadowsweet is a wonderful herb that can be used to treat everything from stomach acidity and upset to headaches and nausea. Unfortunately, it is a natural source of salicylates so is NOT safe for use by anyone who is taking blood-thinners.
  • Lavender is one of the gentlest and most widely used herbs. However, its use should be avoided if allergic.
  • Honey is actually a necessary ingredient in this recipe, as it contains fructose.

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